ABSTRACT
Profits from drug trafficking can only be usefully employed by the criminal underworld when the money has been legitimized. Drug traffickers must convert their illicit gains into acceptable, respectable money before it can be used and before they can branch out into legitimate occupations that allow them to enjoy their wealth without fear of investigation. The major end process in drug trafficking, therefore, is money laundering. Consequently, one of the principal tasks of the UNDCP is to tackle this problem. Thus, to deprive drug traffickers of their illicit power and influence, UNDCP assists governments in efforts to counter money laundering and confiscate assets gained from drug trafficking. It is supporting a $4.3 million global program to improve the capacity of legal and law enforcement systems, which includes the creation of financial intelligence units to reduce the vulnerability of financial systems. 1
